Students belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes at the Vijayanagar Sri Krishnadevaraya University staged a demonstration to protest against the failure of the administration providing them accommodation in the hostel that was inaugurated recently.
The students, under the banner of Students Federation of India (SFI) squatted in front of the administrative building of the University and raised slogans to press for their demand. They criticised the authorities for their failure to keep up their assurances made in front of Social Welfare Minister H. Anjaneya, of providing hospital facilities from Karnataka Rajyotsava day (November 1st).
“Accommodate us in the new hostel building. This will help avoid our daily travel from our village to the university on one hand and would enable us to devote more time for studying with the exams fast approaching. We will manage without the furniture, including cots”, they told K.H.Shivaprasad, in-charge Vice Chancellor.
In reply, Mr. Shivaprakash, said that due to technical reasons, there had been delay in inviting e-procurement tenders and sought one month time to equip the hostel and kitchen with furniture and other equipments. “We have to follow certain procedures. Till then kindly bear with us”, he appealed.
However, the students threatened that they would resort to hunger strike if they were not given accommodation in the hostel from November 1st onwards.